Make the best Christmas Ham with my simple recipe and tips! This delicious ham with a sweet glaze will be the star of your holiday dinner.
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Why This Recipe Works
Baking ham for the holiday dinner could not be easier. If you are like me and like to buy the fully-cooked bone-in spiral cut ham, the only thing we need to worry about is the glaze. The ham is already cooked and sliced, we need to add flavor. I like the combination of orange juice, spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger and allspice) with dark brown sugar (to keep the ham super juicy). It's perfect!
The saltiness of the ham and sweetness of the glaze go so well together! You can use brown sugar, honey or maple syrup for the base of the glaze. While most traditional recipes call for whole cloves studding the whole ham, I prefer to use the ground version and mix it into the glaze, especially since I'm using spiral-cut ham that would be hard to decorate with whole cloves.
Ingredients:
- ham: mine is fully cooked, bone-in, spiral cut,
- orange juice: the base of the glaze, adds delicious citrus flavor,
- butter: adds rich flavor and helps with browning the outside of the ham,
- spices: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice,
- brown sugar: I recommend dark,
- mustard: Dijon or honey.
How to make a ham glaze?
Combine butter, juice and brown sugar in a microwave-safe dish. Heat up in 20-second increments until butter is melted. Then microwave for 15-seconds at a time, until bubbly. Watch it because it can foam out of the cup. Do not overcook or you will end up with hard caramel.
How to bake Christmas ham?
- Start by removing ham from the packaging.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and prepare a large baking dish (an aluminum foil roasted or 13"x9" baking dish).
- Place ham cut side down into the dish.
- Pour half of the glaze over ham.
- Cover ham loosely with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 13 minutes per pound.
- Check the ham with a meat thermometer. It should read 140 degrees F.
- Remove from oven and let stand for at least 15 minutes.
- Serve.
How long do you cook ham?
Since the ham is already cooked, all you need to do is heat it up. I recommend baking it for 13 to 14 minutes per pound. You can also broil it for a minute or two to caramelize the glaze.
How to prevent ham from being dry?
To ensure that the ham is juicy and doesn't dry out, glaze it and cover it with aluminum foil before baking. You can also baste it every once in a while, with the juices that collect at the bottom of the pan. Baking it at low temperature ensures that the ham heats up through out without the outisde slices drying out.
What to serve with ham?
There are many delicious side dishes that can be served with ham. Here are just a few of our favorite:
What is the best ham to buy?
The most flavorful ham, in my opinion, is a fully-cooked bone-in ham. It will be more flavorful and juicy! I uses spiral-cut ham for convenience.
How to use leftover ham?
I always end up with some leftover ham. Fortunately, there are many delicious ways to use it! My ham casserole is the easiest and the Black Eyed Peas with Ham are great for your New Year's Eve celebrations. On a snowy day, I like to make my Ham and Corn Chowder or a Ham and Bean Soup and enjoy a big bowl with homemade biscuits. Don't forget to leave some for the Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders.
Recipe FAQs:
A typical serving of ham is ⅓ to ½ pound per person.
Since the ham is fully-cooked, all you need to do it warm it up. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. The ham is done once the internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can use honey or maple syrup.
First, check if your ham will fit in the slow cooker. You can cook it on LOW for 3 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Any leftovers should be stored in a container with a lid, in the fridge, for up to 4 days. Use in sandwiches or recipes listed below.
More holiday recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Christmas Ham
Ingredients
- 8 to 9 lbs fully-cooked ham I used spiral-cut
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup packed brown sugar I recommend dark
- 1 teaspoon Dijon or honey mustard
Instructions
- Start by removing ham from the packaging. Note how many pounds your ham weighs. You will need it to figure out the cooking time per pound.
- Preheat oven to 325° F.
- Prepare a large baking dish (an aluminum foil roasted or 13″x9″ baking dish) and aluminum foil.
- Place ham cut side down into the dish.
- Combine butter, juice and brown sugar in a microwave-safe dish. Heat up in 20-second increments until butter is melted. Then microwave for 15-seconds at a time, until bubbly. Watch it because it can foam out of the cup.
- Pour half of the glaze over ham.
- Cover ham loosely with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 13 minutes per pound.
- Check the internal temperature of the ham with a meat thermometer. It should read 140° F.
- Pour more glaze over the ham and broil until sizzling, about 2 minutes. This step is optional. You can simply pour the remaining glaze over the ham before serving.
- Remove from oven and let stand for at least 15 minutes so the juices can redistribute.
- Serve.
Notes
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use.
- The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
- The amount of sodium comes from the ham, and more precisely from the cooking process, not from this recipe. Use unsalted butter.
- One serving of ham is about ½ to ¾ lb per person.
Tambra Nicole Kendall says
Hi,
I do something similar with my boneless spiral cut ham. (I don't buy the bone-in anymore.)
I spread apricot preserves on the ham on the outside and in between the slices. Then. I place the ham in the baking dish with apricot juice or orange juice and cover with aluminum foil and heat it up.
Sometimes, I'll sprinkle brown sugar over the top of the ham.
Thank you for all the lovely recipes!
Tambra
Kristyn says
Now, this ham looks juicy & tasty!! Love the flavors going on!
Anna says
Thank you, Kristyn!
wilhelmina says
We always have a big ham for Christmas dinner! This simple but super flavorful glaze make a wonderful centerpiece for any meal!
Anna says
Thank you so much, Wilhelmina!
Katie says
Looks so delicious! Can't wait to try this one.
Anna says
Thanks, Katie!